On The Following Morning We Had The Usual Difficulty In Collecting
Porters, Those Of The Preceding Day Having Absconded, And Others Were
Recruited From Distant Villages By The Native Escort, Who Enjoyed The
Excuse Of Hunting For Porters, As It Gave Them An Opportunity Of
Foraging Throughout The Neighbourhood.
During this time we had to wait
until the sun was high; we thus lost the cool hours of morning, and it
increased our fatigue.
Having at length started, we arrived in the
afternoon at the Kafoor river, at a bend from the south where it was
necessary to cross over in our westerly course. The stream was in the
centre of a marsh, and although deep, it was so covered with thickly
matted water-grass and other aquatic plants, that a natural floating
bridge was established by a carpet of weeds about two feet thick: upon
this waving and unsteady surface the men ran quickly across, sinking
merely to the ankles, although beneath the tough vegetation there was
deep water. It was equally impossible to ride or to be carried over this
treacherous surface; thus I led the way, and begged Mrs. Baker to follow
me on foot as quickly as possible, precisely in my track. The river was
about eighty yards wide, and I had scarcely completed a fourth of the
distance and looked back to see if my wife followed close to me, when I
was horrified to see her standing in one spot, and sinking gradually
through the weeds, while her face was distorted and perfectly purple.
Almost as soon as I perceived her, she fell, as though shot dead.
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